New York Rangers: Midseason State of the Union Address
Forwards
When we take a look at the play of the New York Rangers forward group this year, we can say they have been good at best.
That really seems to be the case for every season in recent memory, where the Rangers feature good secondary scorers, but there is no true goal-scoring super-star that makes noise amongst the league.
We got a taste of it with Rick Nash in 2014-2015 when he tallied 69 points, but things came back to reality in the seasons that followed. All in all, there is really no face of the franchise when it comes to a goal-scorer at the moment.
The Rangers recently went and claimed Cody McLeod off waivers from the Nashville Predators and he will be joining the lineup right away.
McLeod is an enforcer and will bring a role to the Rangers that they currently do not have filled. I think this says that they are still salvaging this season and are trying to bring in a guy who will fire up the locker room.
The current leading point scorer on the Rangers roster is Mats Zuccarello who has 37 points which ranks tied for 67th amongst the NHL.
There is word that Zuccarello could be dealt if need be which would be a devastation to Rangers fans as he has been a big part of the franchise for seven years.
Zuccarello has another year left on his contract and just entered his 30’s. In my opinion, I think he is the least likely to be traded of the players being rumored. However, it is very possible we could see him depart if Gorton really wants to shake things up.
There is some exciting young talent in the organization that could very well develop into something special down the line. For instance, 22-year-old Pavel Buchnevich stands tied for second on the team in scoring with 32 points in his second NHL season.
He has been a growing asset on the power play as he has displayed his abilities to shoot and make plays at a top level.
The other sophomore, Jimmy Vesey, is a productive work in progress. While Vesey only has 17 points at the moment, he is beginning to show confidence with the puck and the plays that he is making. It is clear the Rangers intend to involve Vesey in their future plans.
As for other players moving upward in their careers, I love what I have seen from J.T. Miller. He brings a full game to the ice from his physical play to his powerful skating to his scoring abilities.
Miller is tied for second on the team in scoring with 32 points and should be on pace to just pass his career-high of 56 points in a season.
Kevin Hayes continues to rise as well as he returned to the lineup after a six-game absence last week to score a goal and an assist to help pull the Rangers out of a three-game slump.
His big body frame, long reach, and creative hands make him a rare type of player that has served the Rangers well thus far. Both Miller and Hayes should be in the Rangers future plans.
The biggest investment the Rangers have in their forward group is Mika Zibanejad. Zibanejad has 28 points on the year, which is probably less than what the Rangers expected of him as of right now.
There is no doubt that Zibanejad has the tools to be elite as he has been an effective No. 1 center this year for the Blueshirts. He is the biggest weapon on the power play and must find a way to start burying more pucks. There is no scenario where I see Zibanejad being traded.
Rick Nash is a name that has trade written all over it. He is a big name that has a contract ending after this season and just started to heat up in production. He only has 25 points but can provide the extra push that a top team would want to make a cup run. Nash probably has the highest likelihood of being dealt out of any other Ranger.
The next name we have been hearing about is the Rangers’ lead goal scorer, Michael Grabner. Grabner was a steal when the Rangers signed him for two years a couple of summers ago as he has led the team in goals both years thus far.
He practically gets a breakaway every game and is always the guy to seal off wins with empty net goals. Along with Nash, Grabner becomes an unrestricted free agent this summer and has a lot of trade appeal. There is a high chance we could be bidding him farewell at the end of the month.
Overall, the Rangers forward group has too many players alike and given the recent mediocre play, it is almost a foregone conclusion one of these guys will be departing whether the Rangers are thinking in the now or the long-term.
The league is all about speed, skill, and most importantly youth nowadays and the New York Rangers are going to want to improve their young talent.